Heat Wave
by dancer4ver
Summary: His bad decisions had bad outcomes...or were they good? He was unsure and the heat wasn't helping. NaruIno. One-shot.


**A/N: **It's summer! Woot! Schools done and over with, exams are in the past and I'm just soo happy! I intially planned to put this in a collection of one-shots revolving around pairings involving Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Ino, but I scrapped the idea and decided to post some of the stories individually. This was just one of them. I don't know how I feel about it, but I wanted to write it, so I did.

**Warnings (?): Naughty language and naughty Ino (oooo)**

**Disclaimer: Until I can prove that I am Kishimoto's rightful heir, I do not own Naruto :(**

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_Heat wave_

While Uzumaki Naruto considered himself reasonable intelligent, he had faltering faith in his ability to make decisions. The rocking of the wagon enforced this thought, as did the nasty glare from his fellow companion. He returned the look, indicating that he was enjoying this about as much as she was. And that was not at all.

"We should be reaching Konoha in 'bout 30 minutes, at the pace Suki-chan here is going. So ya'll just sit back and relax" came the raspy voice of the driver.

Suki-chan the donkey brayed in response and for a moment seemed to pick up the pace before settling back into the snail like speed that had brought them this far.

"Uh, yes ok. And um, thanks again for the ride. You really didn't have to do this" _Really._Naruto sighed inwardly.

"Aww don't say that. It's my pleasure". The driver turned back to the road, letting the reins twist lightly in his hands as he guided the wooden wagon along the dusty road that led back to Konoha.

Naruto settled back in his seat and chanced a glance across the wagon. She was still glaring. It was the only expression that she had shown since they had begun this trip some four hours ago. At first, he had found it relatively amusing, but now, after traveling miles under the abnormally hot sun, it sent a tremor of irritation through Naruto. He was sure that if the heat kept increasing, irritation would soon morph to anger and they would both be shooting daggers at each other. Both figuratively and literally, he supposed.

"You know, if you keep your face like that for too long it will freeze like that". The humor in his voice had given way to bitterness sometime during the journey so the teasing remark sounded more biting than it was intended.

Her ice blue eyes narrowed at him and despite the heat, Naruto felt the deathly chill that radiated from them. Yamanaka Ino was indeed a scary person. Why he had agreed to take this mission with her in the first place was beyond him, and the yellow haired boy once again blamed his poor decision making skills.

Ino's on-and-off again friendship/rivalry with Sakura had caused them to become casual acquaintances, so it had been simple to combine their skills and work together during the mission, which had been easy enough that participation from the both of them was not really required.

A farmer living near the more northern sectors of Hi no Kuni had filed a complaint against a group of bandits that had been raiding his crop fields. The bandits had been identified as a group of missing nin from Kusagakure no Sato and the Hokage had been quick to dispatch the first team she could find to go after them.

Lucky for Naruto. He had been on his way to pester Granny Hokage into giving him a solo A-rank mission, despite the fact that he still lacked the appropriate Chunin status to take one on. Of course that mattered little to Konoha's future Hokage.

He had burst through the door merely moments after Tsunade had drawn up the mission paperwork. Grinning a sly grin, she had handed him the details and barked at him an order to find a partner before literally throwing him from her office. Definitely not the kind of meeting he had hoped to have.

Battered and bruised, Naruto had landed at the feet of none other than Yamanaka Ino who had been on her way to deliver a stack of medical charts to the Hokage's assistant, Shizune.

Before Naruto could stop himself, he had blurted out the specifics of the mission and asked if she wanted to partner up for it.

The platinum blonde had given him a long look before agreeing. While partnering up with Naruto was not her idea of a dream team, Ino had been cooped up in the village for the last few weeks, running a multitude of errands for the Hokage since Sakura was away. A simple B-rank mission seemed the perfect escape.

Once the shinobi pair had thoroughly cleansed the farmer's field of the bandits, the overly-grateful old man had been eager to repay them, despite the sum that he had already paid for their services.

Both Ino and Naruto had enthusiastically refused all of his offers, including the one where he had offered to marry off his oldest daughter to Naruto, who was tempted (she _was _very cute). Ino had shot this one down extremely fast and beat it into Naruto that accepting such an offer would only result in painful death.

Later when he would inquire as to why it had bothered her so much, he would receive a punch in the nose and garbled mutterings that included, "none of your business" and something about Sakura.

In the end, the poor farmer, who was determined to reward his guests in some manner had offered to drive them home.

The mission had been easy enough that the two shinobi were capable of making their way back to the village by themselves, but the old man had been especially adamant, until Naruto had finally caved in and agreed.

He had turned to see a furious Ino seething at him, but he could only shrug in reply and whisper something about humoring the old man, before they were packed in the rickety wagon and waved off by the farmers daughters, the oldest one winking and blowing kisses to her almost husband.

Their journey had started in the morning hours but now the day had progressed into the afternoon and the sun was high in the sky.

There was little shade to be offered by the wagon so the two ninja could only lay silent, slowing baking in the sun. They had been doing so for hours and Naruto was relived that it was almost over.

Using the back of his hand, he wiped the beads of sweat that had accumulated on his forehead. The last water bottle had been emptied and as Naruto gazed at the perspiration on the back of his hand, he was tempted to lick it off. Doing so would probably further irritate Ino, which was an added bonus.

As he was contemplating licking his own sweat, a tired moan came from the otherside of the cart and Naruto looked up to see Ino furiously fanning herself with one of the scraps of paper that littered the floor of the cart.

Her pretty face was pinched in fatigue and irritation and her blonde hair hung limply behind her back.

She caught him staring and shot him another glare, although this one was more tired than the previous ones so it only was half as effective.

"What are you looking at?" she hissed.

Naruto rolled his eyes at her bad-tempered manner. "Nothing", he breathed out.

"Then stop staring" she said, her voice becoming more venomous.

Naruto frowned and looked away, determined to ignore his companion until they reached the village. However, it seemed that now that they were talking (somewhat), Ino did not feel like stoping.

"You know, this is all your fault".

"I think you've made that clear"

"I feel disgusting right now"

"You look disgusting right now".

Naruto bit his lip and watched as Ino froze at the last comment. Her blue eyes locked onto his and his body shuddered as waves of death rolled toward him.

"You're lucky I can barely move right now, Uzumaki..."

He was indeed. No doubt that she would get him later for that comment but for now, he had prolonged a painful thrashing.

He hadn't really meant it. The insult had only been a reflex to her previous statement. In truth, he thought Ino always looked pretty, even now, dripping with sweat and with a mean glare pasted on her face.

The bubbly blondes devotion to his pink haired goddess had not made him blind to the attractive qualities of other females, especially since said pink haired goddess continued to reject his advances. If Sakura kept saying 'no', he would eventually have to move on, and Ino seemed like a good next candidate.

The leggy blonde oozed sex appeal but she was vain with a bitchy attitude that made one forget how pretty she was sometimes. Although when she smiled, it was all he could think about.

Maybe it was a good thing she didn't smile often around him.

"You know what?"

"Huh?" he said dumbly. She had caught him off guard when he was in the middle of his musings.

"You're really lucky". Ino's voice was thick and heavy, as if she was drunk.

"Because you can't move?"

"No, because you're a guy". She said, gazing at him with sad eyes.

Where was this all coming from? "What are you talking about? Because I'm a guy?"

"It's sooo hot!" Ino groaned, increasing the speed at which she waved her fan. "And you just sit there with your shirt off and it's ok, because you're a guy".

Naruto gaped. Was she kidding him? The heat was definitely making her delirious. The Ino he knew would never say such a thing like that...would she?

"What I would do now to be naked..." she pouted and in a final bout of frustration, threw her 'fan' out of the cart.

Naruto felt his face flame up and not because of the heat. They had both veered onto dangerous, though perhaps not unwanted territory, and the smirk that formed on her lips only made him more nervous.

"What's the matter, Naruto-kun? I didn't say something to upset you?" She was grinning now and her blue eyes flickered with mischief.

"U-uh, no, Ino. Everything is fine" he sputtered, trying to look away from her predatory gaze.

"Oh, it is? Then there should be no problem". She leaned back against the sides of the wagon, still grinning impishly.

Naruto dared to look at her, wondering what she had in store for him.

Slowly, she brought her hands down to the top of her skirt and with the flick of a fingernail popped off the button, letting the skirt fall away, leaving only her black shorts.

Naruto stared. What was she up to? Half of him wanted to find out, the other wanted to jump out of the wagon and run the rest of the way back to the village.

"Ah, that feels good" Ino sighed, pushing the purple skirt aside. "But I'm not quite comfortable yet".

Polished nails worked to roll up the edges of the black shorts until they would go no further, leaving Ino's creamy white thighs on display.

"That's better".

Naruto felt his mouth go dry. His brain was beginning to fizzle and there was a wave of heat expanding within him.

But the flower Kunoichi wasn't done yet. Hands reached up to tease the buttons that sealed her top. Her eyes flickered for a moment on her stupefied companion before she smirked and popped off the first button.

One button, two button, three button....?

Ino's fingers rested lightly on the fourth and final button, tapping it lightly and teasingly circling the edges.

Watching her fingers going around in a circle was hypnotizing as Naruto's head seemed to sway in rhythm.

The top was ready to burst and the fishnet that lay below it would do little to conceal Ino's breasts.

Naruto's fingers clenched and unclenched as he fought to remain calmed and _seated_. His breath was slow and ragged and he could see that Ino was enjoying every minute of this torture.

_Fucking minx_.

Painfully slow she slipped a nail underneath the last button, arched her finger up and...

"We're here! Konohagakure no sato! Now that didn't take too long, did it?"

Curse the driver, his raspy voice and that damned donkey too!

Naruto looked away for a second to find the wagon closing in on the large Konoha gates. The rickety vehicle came to a lurching stop just a few feet away from the entrance.

"All passengers please exit the wagon in an orderly manner and have a nice day". The driver crowed cheerfully.

Naruto looked back to Ino, or at least where Ino had been. The devious blonde was nowhere to be found.

"Looking for me?" came the seductive whisper in his ear. Practically jumping out of his seat, he turned around, and found himself face to face with a fully clothed and once again smirking Yamanaka Ino.

She playfully cocked her head at him, laughing on the inside at his utterly bewildered look. "Come on, hurry up and get down. We need to give the Hokage our report" she turned to start walking towards the village. "And I don't know about you, but I could really use a cold shower right now" she called over her shoulder.

Naruto looked down and groaned. Yeah, a cold shower was definitely in order.

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Ino is a bad girl.

;)

Hope you liked it. I dunno, should I up the rating? I thought T was ok...

Much love

-dancer


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